The Cleveland Browns made one of the more surprising in-season NFL trades in recent memory on Oct. 7 when they agreed to send veteran quarterback Joe Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for a 2026 fifth-round selection. Flacco started Cincinnati’s game at the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and passed for 219 yards with two touchdowns in a 27-18 loss that dropped the Bengals to 2-4 on the season. The 40-year-old is now on track to start when Cincinnati hosts the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) this coming Thursday night. While speaking with reporters on Monday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed Browns general manager Andrew Berry trading his club’s Week 1 QB1 to an AFC North foe in the middle of a campaign. “To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin said, per Brendan Howe of Steelers Now. “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us. Because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening day starter to a
